Richard Culliton: Yea or Ney?

[Steve]

That pretty well sums up my thoughts on him too!

[R Sinclair]

I found Culliton's AMC very sloppy. This whole "community" thing? A crock. His focus, as I've said numerous times on this topic, making everything and everyone connected to Leo. He did insulting rewrites of history and botched returning characters' stories. He had the shortest attention span for anything outside of Leo and Greenlee. He made everyone either rich or come into gobs of money. Chris Stamp is Ryan's father? Please! Charles Hayward killed himself because he was originally Proteus? Please! Vanessa saw Richard Fields rape 14 year old Erica?! Please! Trey is discovered to be Richard Fields' son because his voice sounds identical to Fields' old B movies?! Ugh! It was watching uninspired camp. There were no true dramatic stories. Nothing truthful or organic. Everything was either contrived or based on careless, sloppy revisionist history.

[EricMontreal22]

I forgot that Charles was meant to be (in backstory) Proteus... To be honest i still can't make head or tails of Proteus.

[MichaelGL]

Going back even further, it's said that Pam Long's tenure truly didn't go off the rails until Culliton left her side as Co-HW at GL.

[EricMontreal22]

Well I have to say Pam Long is someone I need to be convinced of, but it;'s probably unfair because all I've seen of her was her disastrous run at OLTL under JFP (McTavish's run later on was actually a marked improvement)

[Mitch]

Totally true...it kills me that Long gets all the credit for those first two years...as it went to crap after he left and she didnt get it back on the rails again even on her second try. Longs' dismantleing of the Bauers, destruction of the Reardons and introduction of the Coopers (who were direct rip offs of Nola and Tony, only Greek was the first step in GL's eventual demise..she made it easy for the rest of the hacks to dismantle the show even more.

Anyway, with Culliton the show was on fire, the Bauers, the Spauldings, the Reardons (remember a wonderful GL world were there were no Coopers??) were all given equal time. They introduced the Lewis family,and Reva and of course, Alex during their tenure, but things were all given equal time. Then he left and Long gave into her worst habits.

By the way, OT but is anyone else creeped out by the FrankenTan in the ad banner above. He looks crazed in it (is that supposed to be how he comes off, in the commercials he has a weird laugh and manner,not like he is spoofing a soap doctor but more like a soap psycho!!!)

[MichaelGL]

Wasn't Bert given a storyline when Culltion was there, one that dealt with the amputation of her leg? It seems to me that under Long and Culltion, the stories for anyone whose name wasn't Lewis, didn't feel forced. When Culliton left, every now and then Long would momentarily remember that there existed other families in Springfield, and she'd create some forced drama or adventure involving either the Bauers, Reardons, or Spauldings.

[Southofnowhere]

Mctavish&Frons stated that she had the rape , Michael's murder ,babyswitch all planned bfeore she even got the HW job.

The only changes were Krystal was intended to be a harcore villian. The whole Davd being Babe's father was also added.

As soon as she picthed the Josh story she should have been fired. Heck as soon as she piched the Jonathan story she should be fired.

The writers before Mctavish seemed to have Michael headed towards rape , does anyone know who he was going to rape? My guess Kendall.

As for Mr.Culliton none of his stories had any ending. He just droped them out of nowhere.

IMO his best AMC story got dropped before it even began. He planned to bring back Janet&Amanda and hook amanda up with Bianca and for Janet to be from another planet bigtime.

[Adam]

I am pretty sure its been reported Michael was to rape Kendall in order to repair Kendall and Erica's relationship. They would bond over that experience. To me that made more sense than raping Bianca, a lesbian which in the process virtually desexualized her. I never knew Krystal was to be a hardcore villain.... I guess she would have still done all the things she did, just not hide behind the "I did it for love" angle.

David as Babe's father was such a beyond stupid move. It did absolutely nothing for his character.

[DeeeDee]

And they bonded anyway DURING Bianca's rape.

[Southofnowhere]

Before Bobbie was cast KWAK was supposed to have kicked Babe out on the street and was going to be atotal golddigger who would do anything for the Chandler money. I know that how viewer's saw it anyway but it wasn't written or acted that way. Mctavish became obessed with Babe and hence Babe is love.

Mctavish had Bianca raped because of the babyswitch. For her it was just means to an end.

Also Mctavish get's credit for Zendall. Nonsense she fought it tooth and nail. For good or bad Zendall came about because of fans. They had a fanbase before they were even a couple. In the end she gave in but it wasn't her idea.

[MichaelGL]

So Krystal was to be a Arlene 2.0? Interesting.....

[Mitch]

Yea the Bert amputation story was during Culliton's time there....though we can't really blame Long for not using Bert after that as Charita got sick and died that spring. There also was a hint of a story between Bert and H.B., which actually may have been Long's idea, as in an interview she talks about it. They had scenes of H.B.going to talk to Bert about his family, but by that time Charita was having the amputation and he would go talk to Maureen instead (the first hints that Mo would eventually take Bert's place.)

Gates and Bauer together would have been a hoot!

But yes, everything that didnt involve the Lewises and Reva was forced or an afterthought, though I think during that time even the Lewis crap was forced...once again infinity, Reva and Kyle jumping out of a plane and landing in Amish country...Roxie having a split personality...all of it was very forced and notGL ish. It wasnt until her second term at GL that Long, by herself, got back to the basics with more realistic stories, though I wonder how much was her and how much was Curlee's influence?

[Adam]

Yes, it was plain as day McT didn't want to go the Zendall route. It was clear she wanted Rendall..... I don't think she even wanted Rylee.... McT I think despised the Greenlee character, it was all Frons pushing Budig and CamMat together I think.

[R Sinclair]

I, personally, never gave her credit for creating Zendall. I gave her credit for being the only head writer who made then enjoyable. I say that just to express what others, I believe, might have meant when they communicated giving the writer credit for them. The last two regimes made then insufferable. That writer at least gave them an underdog quality. Zach and Kendall against the world. As opposed to the other writers who made them Zach and Kendall the center of the world universe.

But back to the Culliton topic, his strength is in script writing. During the Luke and Noah craze of 2007, I watched ATWT clips on YouTube. During the bulk of their days, either he or Peter Brash were responsible for writing the dialogue. I have to admit I enjoyed a lot of Culliton's scenes. Which leads me back to something I noticed immediately back when Culliton took over AMC in 2001 -- the night and day difference in dialogue. This, of course, was back in the days when AMC didn't individually list each episode's script writer. But this was a scene, within his first week or so, between Greenlee and Laura that I LOVED:

Laura: I have something for you.

Greenlee: Oh, how sweet. Did you bring me a present?

Laura: Yes. Your earring, right? You left it behind when you were trying to seduce my husband last night outside our condo in your nightgown.

Greenlee: Do you have one of those little "I spy" telescopes in the front window, Laura? Or did Leo tell you all about how big bad Greenlee tried to lead him astray?

Laura: We have to lay down some ground rules, ok?

Greenlee: Ground rules, huh? I hate rules.

Laura: Oh, but you're going to follow these.

Greenlee: Oh, yeah? You're so strong and brave all of a sudden?

Laura: I have somebody else's heart beating in my chest. You have no idea about strength like that.

Greenlee: Hmm. I see. "I am transplant woman. Hear me roar."

Laura: Shut up. Listen to me -- you never come to my house again, ever, and you never go where you know Leo will be -- ever! Are we clear?

Greenlee: No. I didn't realize we were living in the fascist state of Pine Valley where my movements are restricted.

Laura: You had no right to go to my house at midnight to talk to Leo.

Greenlee: I didn't go to talk to Leo! I went out for a drive and I ended up on your street.

Laura: Outside of your car in my courtyard talking to my husband.

Greenlee: He was there -- like Mt. Everest.

Laura: You are such a brat, Greenlee.

Greenlee: I know.

Laura: Oh, and you like this quality about yourself?

Greenlee: I like who I am. Do you like who you are, Laura?

Laura: I know who I am and what is mine.

Greenlee: Hmm. Possessive. Interesting. How does Leo like that? He's such a free spirit, he gets suffocated so easily. No wonder he was outside in the middle of the night all alone. Must get awful crowded in that bed of yours- you, Leo, your colossal expectations.

Laura: You have no idea what goes on in my bedroom.

Greenlee: Quiet, convalescent sex. Boring!

Laura: You are sick! Do you know that?

Greenlee: According to you, I'm sick and I'm a brat. Doesn't make me sound too appealing.

Laura: You aren't.

Greenlee: Gee -- wonder why I can't keep the opposite sex away with all those negative qualities.

Laura: Greenlee, I came here to tell you to stay away from Leo because I love him and we are married and you don't belong in our orbit. And I'm not weak, physically or otherwise, and I will fight you harder than you think I can.

Greenlee: Whatever. Like I care. You just want it all neat and tidy, but I've got news for you -- love is not neat and tidy, ever. "Let's pretend we're in love" is neat and tidy. Got it?

Laura: You suck.

Greenlee: Ouch! Sting me.

Laura: You will not get away with this, Greenlee. You will have to walk over me to get to Leo, and you have no idea how hard I will fight for him -- none.

____________________________________

"Quiet, convalescent sex. Boring!" + Rebecca's delivery = :lol: